229: Fighting Back

His hard work that night hadn't been in vain; he had finally managed to research this item!

"These defensive artifacts are just the most basic things; it's already good enough that they can be kept for self-defense, but this is a very good start. If we can find more precious materials, we will definitely gain greater benefits."

Listening to Wan Yue, Chen Tianming finally revealed a smile on his face.

Soon, the second piece of good news reached Chen Tianming’s ears.

After a night of investigation, Zhao Xuexuan had already grasped the latest news in the antique collecting circle.

"In three days, the largest local auction house will hold a stone gambling auction, and many people will attend then."

Zhao Xuexuan said, not forgetting to add.

"This auction house has our controlling shares, husband, do you want to participate in this auction?"

He hadn't expected Zhao Xuexuan to be so efficient.

A faint smile immediately appeared on Chen Tianming’s face.

"What I want to do is more than just these."

Soon, Chen Tianming explained his plan to her, and Zhao Xuexuan jotted down everything, "No problem, I'll go arrange it now and make sure everything is handled perfectly."

With Zhao Xuexuan there, Chen Tianming felt much more at ease.

It was convenient to have strength in his own family.

He didn't have to be like Han Lei, who had to do everything himself and would expose himself if he wasn't careful.

"I also need to let that kid experience what it feels like to be schemed against."

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Tianming’s eyes.

He was even somewhat eager to see Han Lei’s dejected look immediately.

On the rooftop of an office building in the city center.

Looking at the promotional material in her hand, Mia frowned deeply.

"Do you really think there will be good stuff at this stone gambling convention?"

It was said that their company had some business dealings with several stone material suppliers.

The raw stone and jade materials they provided alone were enough for their company to resell.

But Han Lei was never satisfied.

He always wanted to make another profit from other places.

Mia was truly a bit worried now, fearing that he might stumble.

"Even the appraisers at the auction house can't be 100% sure of the contents, let alone from such a distance where you can't observe carefully. What if you make a mistake?"

Mia’s main concern was the cost.

But Han Lei was full of confidence about it.

"Don't worry, no matter how far away, I can see the essence. Haven't the things I've appraised never gone wrong before? If there really are treasures among these raw stones, our company can make a huge profit and also gain fame through this opportunity. Isn't this killing two birds with one stone?"

Hearing Han Lei say this, Mia hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Okay, I'll give you this chance. I'll go with you on the day of the auction."

Han Lei felt a surge of joy in his heart.

He had been worried about not having a chance to show off in front of Mia.

Now she was actively offering herself!

"Of course, no problem."

The two of them had now come to an agreement.

Han Lei quickly went out to prepare, his heart bursting with joy.

Before meeting Chen Tianming, his appraisals had never gone wrong, and he had received extremely high praise from Mia.

If Chen Tianming hadn't messed things up repeatedly, he wouldn't be in such a sorry state now!

Once he solidified his relationship with Mia, he would definitely settle accounts with Chen Tianming!

"Besides, I'm not alone now; I have a helper. Two people plotting against one Chen Tianming should give us some advantage."

This was precisely why he was so confident.

A few days later, many people had gathered at the auction house entrance, seemingly all there to participate in the auction.

Following beside Han Lei, Mia still felt some apprehension about it.

"Are you sure you can find good things here? I feel a bit doubtful."

Mia’s doubts were not unfounded. Not only local vendors but also many private collectors were present today.

It was a mixed bag, so to speak.

The threshold for today's auction was set extremely low; anyone with capital could come and participate.

This made Mia doubt the quality of the items inside.

"It will definitely be fine. I have confidence."

Not to mention how many items would be traded here, just the quality of the two stones advertised on the poster was extraordinary.

It was precisely because of this that Han Lei had decided to bring Mia along to the auction.

If there was something better here, he could show off in front of Mia.

If not, at least there were two high-quality stones as a fallback, so he wouldn't lose face in front of Mia.

Soon, the two successfully entered the venue.

Many people came to participate in the auction today, and the entire venue was bustling.

Mia and Han Lei’s seats were in the center, allowing them to clearly see every detail on the stage.

Soon, a piece of raw jade was placed on the table.

This was the very one advertised on the poster!

This stone, let alone for experienced collectors, even Mia could feel its value with her naked eye.

"You were right; this auction really does have some good stuff."

Han Lei’s face was full of smugness, and he immediately raised his bidding paddle.

"5 million!"

Unexpectedly, before Han Lei could even raise his paddle, someone in the corner directly offered a high price.

Han Lei was stunned.

Did these guys even understand auctions?

Most people probably hadn't even looked closely at the item’s appearance yet, so how could they bid, and even faster than him?

What surprised him even more was that such people were by no means few.

In less than two minutes, the price had already exceeded ten million!

Han Lei’s face instantly turned ashen.

This had already far exceeded the stone’s intrinsic value; even buying it would be a loss. He truly didn't know what these people were thinking.

Were they truly ignorant, or did they genuinely believe there was something more valuable hidden inside this stone, or perhaps they never even considered making a profit?

"Why aren't you bidding anymore?"

Mia saw him sit down again and felt a surge of curiosity.

"Is there still a need? They've already raised the price several times over. Even if we bought it, we'd be losing money."

Han Lei could only wait for the next item now.

However, he didn't expect this situation to be an isolated incident.

The second item Han Lei had his eye on was acquired by someone in almost the same manner, at a price several times higher than the market value.

Watching the other person’s smug expression, Han Lei had a fleeting moment of genuine doubt.

"Am I crazy, or are these people crazy? How could they offer such high prices? Do they even know what they're doing?"

Han Lei was now on the verge of breaking down.

For a moment, he even regretted it. He should have known better than to come with Mia if he was going to be with these ignorant people.

Wasn't this just letting Mia see him make a fool of himself?